Best Robotic Vacuums for $300 or Less
Yes, you can get a good robotic vac for just a few hundred bucks
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A good robotic vacuum can come at a steep cost: Several robotics in our ratings cost over $1,000. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t capable robotic vacuums that are more budget-friendly. If you’re shopping for a reasonably priced robot vacuum, our testing has revealed several models that are worth your consideration and cost less than $300.
In our labs, we rate robotic vacuums extensively, starting with how well they remove debris from carpets and bare floors. We also judge them on their ability to pick up pet hair and clean the corners and edges of a room. In our "mini apartment" (a multiroom testing space that simulates a home environment), these vacuums are evaluated on how they map spaces and avoid obstacles such as carpet fringes and electrical cords.
Other criteria we consider are the noise level of these models, their ease of use, and their data privacy and security measures. For data privacy, we measure how the vacuum collects, shares, and uses a user’s data. For data security, we look at how well it protects a user’s data when it comes to authentication, encryption, responses to known vulnerabilities, and more.
To learn more about how we rate robot vacuums, see our vacuum cleaner buying guide and our picks of the best robotic vacuums. You can also check out our full ratings of robotic vacuums to see the strengths and weaknesses of all 46 models currently in our ratings. Below, we highlight the best affordable robot vacuums in alphabetical order.
One of the most notable things about the Eufy 11S is its slimness. It’s less than 3 inches tall, which means that it’s low enough to go under most furniture with room to spare. It’s a quiet vacuum and performs exceptionally well at cleaning up bare floors. The vacuum tends to make multiple passes across floors, which accounts for its high ratings in navigation. We noticed that its side brushes sometimes scatter debris around, but that’s less of an issue because the vacuum is able to pick it up in the next pass. It doesn’t offer WiFi connectivity, however, so you can’t control it with an app.
Similar to the Eufy 11S, mentioned above, the Eufy RoboVac 11S Max is quiet and has a low profile that allows it to navigate smoothly underneath furniture. It excels at cleaning hard floors and does a solid job at vacuuming the edges of a room, though its ability to vacuum carpets and pick up pet hair is only so-so. Compared with the Eufy 11S, the 11S Max has a slightly more powerful battery, according to our tests. And like the 11S, it doesn’t have WiFi. As a brand, Eufy robotic vacs receive very good scores in owner satisfaction and reliability based on our member surveys.
If you’re interested in a Eufy vacuum that does offer WiFi connectivity, the Eufy RoboVac G30 Edge is a solid choice. This model can be controlled via your phone, and with the app you can review your vacuum’s cleaning history, set scheduled cleanings, switch between modes, and more. That said, the model earned an unflattering rating for its data privacy and a merely passable score for its data security. It’s excellent at cleaning hard floors and doesn’t scatter debris around as much as some other models. The G30 Edge comes with boundary strips, so you can block off areas where you don’t want the vacuum to enter.
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